Health and Alcohol

Alcohol, or Ethyl Alcohol, is an intoxicating ingredient found in alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages can be categorised into three generic classes: beers, wines and spirits. Ethanol is a psychoactive drug that is found to have a depressant effect on all human beings.

The Chemistry

Ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is produced by fermentation, a process that involves metabolism of carbohydrates by certain species of yeast in absence of oxygen.

How Much is OK?

Alcohol by volume or ABV defines the concentration of alcohol in a drink, in percentage by weight, abbreviated as w/w (weight/weight) or in proof. The proof measurement is twice the percentage of alcohol by volume at 60 degrees of Fahrenheit (i.e. 80 proof = 40% ABV).

Governments of some countries have defined limit on consumption of alcohol based on their geography, weather patterns and public health statistics. Basic recommendation of having alcohol defined by the Govt. of Australia is as follows:

* Men should not exceed 4 units or 40g of absolute alcohol per day on regular basis or 28 units per week
* Women should not exceed 2 units or 20g of absolute alcohol per day on regular basis or 14 units per week

In simpler version, one unit refers to 10g of pure alcohol in Australian standard whereas 8g or roughly 10ML of pure alcohol is equivalent to one unit in the UK. Current UK guidelines recommend men not to exceed 3 or 4 units per day.

Biologically, women body composition has less water than men. Even if the women and men have same size and same weight, the women tend to get drunk faster than men, which is why the recommended limit of consumption of alcohol is lower for women regardless of geographical location or country.

Alcohol Dependence

People, who drink very frequently, start to be dependent on alcohol and become addictive to the alcohol. Listed below are some of the symptoms and habits that help doctors determine whether a patient is dependent on alcohol or not:

* A strong urge to consume alcohol
* Physical withdrawal system, e.g. shaking, agitation, nausea and sweating when patient tries to reduce drinking
* A growing tolerance to alcohol
* Neglecting other activities
* Persistent drinking

Short-term and Long-term effects

Effects of alcohol change over the time. At the beginning alcohol makes people feel relaxed and cheerful, but further consumption leads to blurred vision, slurred speech, loss of balance and coordination problems. Large amounts of drink at one time may lead to unconsciousness, or even death.

Drinking alcohol for a prolonged period of time will cause physical damage and increase the chances of getting diseases such as alcohol-related liver disease, cardiovascular disease, brain damage, neurological problems, vitamin deficiency and some forms of cancer. Obesity, sexual problems, infertility and skin problems also directly linked with excessive drinking.

Social effects

Alcohol can have negative effects on daily social life. In most of the cases people shy away from the heavy drinker and do not socialize with the addicted person.

Alcohol can also make a person say things they do not mean to say at all. Alcohol intoxication can lead to rapes, unintended pregnancies, ruined relationships and other unwelcome incidents that do not happen in a normal life.

Conclusion

Drinking alcohol does not necessarily have to be associated with “producing negative impacts”. In fact, moderate drinking with plenty of water and appetizers can be quite enjoyable.

Excessive drinking does not only bring about social embarrassments and arouse intensity to commit criminal acts, but it also has as adverse effect on the human body. Once addicted, it’s not easy to quit alcohol, but it is possible to do so with medical help and social support.

If you are an alcohol abuse or you have a problem with alcohol consult with physician right away.

===================================

The responsible service of alcohol is an initiative by Australian State and local Governments to reduce the social and health problems associated with alcohol.RSA online training is available from South Bank Institute of Technology as well as RSA face-to-face RSA courses.